James Coffin

Copyright, Plagiarism, and Disclaimer

Copyright: The material on this website is protected by the copyright laws of the United States.

Plagiarism: Please give credit where credit is due and properly cite your source.

Disclaimer: Mistakes and errors are inevitable. Caveat emptor.

For more information, please see this page.
Pedigree
ChartsAncestors of Jennie Luene Logan
James Coffin, son of Tristram Coffin and Dionis Stevens, was born probably shortly before his baptism at Brixton, Devon, England, 11 September 1639.1 He died at Nantucket Co., Massachusetts, 28 July 1720.1

James married Mary Severance, daughter of John Severance and Abigail Kimball, at Salisbury, Essex Co., Massachusetts, 3 December 1663.2,3,1,4

James Coffin first came to the Nantucket Island with the earliest settlers, but removed to Dover, was a member of the church there and there made a freeman May 31, 1671. He was a member of a jury in 1669 and 1673. In Nov 1673 as a merchant of the ketch Neptune, David Kelly commander, Richard Cutt owner, he was captured by the Dutch. Soon he returned to Nantucket where he resided up to the time of his death.

He was one of the Associate Proprietors, and was the partner selected by his brother Peter. He became prominent in the Islands' affairs and is said to have been the first one on Nantucket appointed to a Probate judgeship in 1680. From him descended the Coffins who were loyalists during the Revolution among whom were General John Coffin and Admiral Sir Isaac Coffin. Lucretia Mott also descended from this branch.5,6

James left a will dated 17 May 1720, and probated 12 Aug 1720 naming no wife but listing
sons James, Nathaniel, John, Ebenezer, Joseph deceased, Jonathan
daughters Mary Gardner, Dinah Starbuck, Deborah Bunker, Elizabeth Bunker, Ruth Gardner, Abigail Gardner deceased
grandsons Zaccheus Coffin Hezekiah Coffin and their unnamed sisters
unnamed children of son Joseph deceased
grandson Micah Coffin and his unnamed sisters
unnamed children of daughter Abigail Gardner deceased
Executors to be sons John and Ebenezer.7

Family

Mary Severance b. 5 Aug 1645, d. bef. 1720
Children
  • Mary Coffin1,7 b. 18 Apr 1665, d. 1 Feb 1741
  • James Coffin1,7 b. abt. 1668, d. 2 Oct 1741
  • Nathaniel Coffin1,7 b. 1671, d. 1 Aug 1750
  • John Coffin1,7 b. abt. 1673, d. 1 Jul 1747
  • Dinah Coffin1,7 b. abt. 1674
  • Abigail Coffin+1,7 b. abt. 1675, d. 15 Mar 1709
  • Deborah Coffin1,7 b. abt. 1676, d. 8 Oct 1767
  • Ebenezer Coffin1,7 b. 30 Mar 1678, d. 17 Oct 1730
  • Joseph Coffin1,7 b. 4 Feb 1679/80, d. 15 Jul 1719
  • Elizabeth Coffin1,7 b. abt. 1682, d. 30 Mar 1769
  • Benjamin Coffin1 b. 28 Aug 1683, d. bef. 1720
  • Ruth Coffin1,7 b. abt. 1685, d. 28 May 1748
  • Experience Coffin1 b. abt. 1689, d. bef. 1695
  • Jonathan Coffin1,7 b. 28 Aug 1692, d. 5 Feb 1773
This person was last edited on28 Apr 2016

Citations

  1. [S8] Mary Lovering Holman, Ancestry of Charles Stinson Pillsbury and John Sargent Pillsbury (Concord, New Hampshire: Rumsford Press, 1938), 605-615, further cited as Holman, Pillsbury Ancestry.
  2. [S7] David W. Hoyt, Old Families of Salisbury and Amesbury, Massachusetts (1897; reprint, Somersworth, New Hampshire: New England History Press, 1981), further cited as Hoyt, Families of Salisbury and Amesbury.
  3. [S35] Alexander Starbuck, The History of Nantucket (Boston, Massachusetts: C.E. Goodspeed, 1924), 663-4, further cited as Starbuck, History of Nantucket.
  4. [S1872] Clarence Almon Torrey, New England Marriages Prior to 1700, 3 vols. (Boston, Massachusetts: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2011), 341, further cited as Torrey, New England Marriages (2011).
  5. [S60] Lydia S. Hinchman, Early Settlers of Nantucket (1934; reprint, Rutland, Vermont: C. E. Tuttle, 1980), 28-29, further cited as Hinchman, Early Settlers of Nantucket.
  6. [S8] Holman, Pillsbury Ancestry, 614.
  7. [S1195] Nantucket County Courthouse, Nantucket, Massachusetts, Probate Records, 1706-1867, 1:80-82, FHL microfilm 906832, further cited as Nantucket Probate Records.